Pad box



oct. 27, 1953 c. K. woDMAN PAD BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25. 1949 Inventor arles K. Woodman C. K. WOODMAN oct. 27, 1952.`

PAD BOX 2' sheets-sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1949 flu/en for Charles /C Woodman B37/ hz Attorney Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNIT ED S TATES PATENT 'OFLF I CE PAD BOX Charles K. Woodman, Beverly, Mass., assigner to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, .Flemington,-N. J., a lcorporation of JNew Jersey Application June 25, 1949, 'Serial No.`101,3'3'8 10 Claims. (Cl. 12438.)

t t 1 y This invention lrelates to 'apparatus for operating 'on shoes and mor particularly to pad boxes used in applying press ne 'to shoe bottoms.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved pad box construe- 'on in which the pressure applying surface of the ad box readily `conforms to the longitudinal cont ur of the shoe bottom without thenecessity of, aking any manual adjustments`y` :for Ai shoes fo different heel heights. Y

To this 'end and in accordance wizh 'a feature of the invention the shoe supporting' pad is carried by heel, shank andforepart supporting meinbers which are pivotally connected and are mounted for relative adjustments in response to the pressure of a shoe against the pad. As illustrated, the heel ysupporting member is mounted for heightwise movement and 'the shank and fcrepart supporting members are mounted for tipping movements to yconform `to the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom.

In accordance with a further feature yof the invention the pressure is transmitted through the supporting members to the shoe by a resilient pad capable of readily assuming the contour of the supporting members and of the shoe bottom without offering appreciable resistance to the adjustment of the supporting members in response to pressure applied to the shoe bottom. As illustrated herein the pad is formed of a plurality of sheets of rubber capable of sliding with respect to one another in the adjustment of the supporting members, the sheets having spaced parallel ribs on opposite faces, the ribs on the lower faces extending in one direction and the ribs on the upper faces extending in a direction at right angles to the ribs on the lower faces.

The pad is illustrated herein as covered by a exible steel blanket which is relatively stiff transversely of the pad and is arranged to dis.- tribute the maximum pressure around the margin of the shoe bottom. In accordance with` a still further feature of the invention the flexible steel blanket comprises a plurality of transversely extending rods carried at their ends by longitudinally extending flexible cables permitting the blanket to yield readily in accordance with the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom,

these rods extending throughout that portion of the pad which underlies the shank and a portion of the forepart of the shoe, the toe end of the shoe resting on a plurality of stili metal plates which are radially arranged to afford the proper pressure distribution around the toe end of the shoe.

To confine the sides of the pad and in accordance with another feature of 'the invention, the pad-supporting members 'have associated therewith side 'wall-s which, in order 'to facilitate 'relative tipping movements of the shank and forepart supporting members, are articulate in construction.

The above and other features of the invention including .various details of construction and novel'combinat'ions 'of parts ywill now be described by reference to the drawings and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one form 'oi pad box in which the'i'nvention is embodied; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the Dad box.

The pad box is ycarried by a supporting frame consisting of a pair of side plates I0 connected by a bottom plate I2 (Fig. 1). The side plates are pivcted at 'I4 on supporting posts I6, this arrangement permitting the pad box to swing bodily with the side plates if necessary 'to insure proper distribution of pressure to a shoe S through toe and heel abutments I8, 20.

The rear portions or left ends of the side plates I0, as viewed in the drawings, carry inwardly extending pins 22 on which are pivoted bell crank levers 24 which are in turn connected by pins 26 to the rear end of a supporting member 28 for thev heel portion of a pad. The heel supporting member 28 is pivoted at its forward end by a pin 30 to a shank supporting member or plate 32 the forward portion of which yis 'in turn pivotally connected by a pin 34 to a fore- 0 part supporting member or plate 36. The shank supporting plate 32 is pivotally carried by the side plates I0 on pins 38 which also 'form fulcrums for gear segments 40 having rearwardly extending arms 42 pivotally connected to the forward end of the heel supporting member 2'8 by extensions of the pivot pin 30.

The gear segments 40 also have downwardly extending arms 44 which are connected by links 46 to the lower ends of the bell crank levers 24 so that the heel supporting member is carried by a parallel linkage arrangement for vertical movement to accommodate shoes of diir'erent heel heights. The pin 34 which connects the shank and forepart supporting members 32, 36 extends laterally beyond the forepart supporting member 36 and passes through the gear segments 40. These gear segments mesh with gear segments 48 which are fulcrumed on pins 50 carried by the side plates I 0. The gear segments 48 have forwardly extending arms 52 which carry pins 54 arranged to enter slots 56 in the forward or right end of the forepart supporting member 36 providing lost motion connections between the segments and the forepart supporting members. By this arrangement if the heel supporting member 28 is pushed downwardly the shank supporting plate 32 will pivot in a counterclockwise direction, this movement acting through the gear segments 40, 48 to cause pivotal movement of the forepart supporting member 36 in a clockwise direction about the pin 34. Conversely if the rear end of the forepart supporting member is moved downwardly the shank supporting member is moved in a clockwise direction about the pivot 38 and the heel supporting member 28 moves upwardly. The gear ratios between the segments 40, 48 which control the movements of the shank and forepart supporting members are such that the correct relationship between the heel, shank and forepart supporting members is maintained for lasts of different heel heights, it being understood that the amount of toe spring of different lasts is not in direct proportion to the heel heights.

Carried by the heel, shank and orepart supporting members are a plurality of layers of rubber sheets 58 each of which sheets is provided on one face with spaced ribs 66 extending transversely of the pad box, the other face of each of the sheets being provided with similarly spaced ribs 8| extending lengthwise of the pad box. These layers of rubber sheets form a rubber pad member having flow characteristics similar to that of a Water bag commonly employed in pad boxes for cement attachment of outsoles to shoe bottoms. A pad member of the type shown herein is illustrated and described in greater detail in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,584,313, granted February 5, 1952, on an application led in my name. A pad member formed in this manner oiers little resistance to adjustment for shoes of diierent heel heights because of the ease with which the sheets of rubber can slide lengthwise with respect to one another in the adjustment of the pad box.

The heel supporting member 28 includes vertical walls G2 providing a U-shaped box-like structure in which the heel ends of the rubber sheets 53 are received. Carried by the pin EL? near its outer ends are vertical links Bri the rearward faces of which, considering the toe end of the pad box as the front, have formed therein vertically extending grooves t6 to receive the forward ends of rods t8 the rearward ends of which are received in vertical grooves l!) in the adjacent ends of the walls E2. The upper ends of the links E4 are connected to the upper forward portions of the walls 62 by links 'l2 and pins lll, '16. The links 12 are also connected to the side plates l by pins 7S. The rods 58 with the shank supporting plate 32 and the links 'l2 form an articulate structure for conning those portions of the rubber sheets 58 which underlie the shank portion of the shoe.

The links 54 have formed in their front faces vertically extending grooves 88' to receive the ends of U-shaped rods 82 which cooperate with the forepart supporting plate 3S to form an articulate enclosure for the orepart portions of the rubber sheets 58. Links S4 connected at 85 to the edges of the forepart supporting plate 36 extend upwardly and maintain the rods 32 against lateral displacement, longitudinal displacement of the rods being prevented by an upwardly extending link SB connected at Si) with an ear extending forwardly from the iorepart supporting plate 36. The upper ends or" the links Sil and 88 are connected at 92, 94 with a U-sbaped plate SS the ends of which are connected to the pins ifi. Thus it will be seen that the rubber sheets 53 which form the pressure applying pad member are confined in a box the shank and forepart portions having articulate side walls to permit the shank and forepart supporting plates to be adjusted in accordance with the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom automatically in response to the application of pressure to a shoe on the pad.

The central portion of the pad member is covered by a flexible wire blanket S8 (Fig. 2) which bridges the shank supporting portion of the pad and extends toward the heel and toe ends, as

shown herein. This blanket is illustrated as begaf-fp ing similar to that shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,497,195, granted February 14, 1950, on the joint application of N. S. Ferland and myself. As shown therein the blanket is formed of a plurality of transversely extending stifr" metal rods or bars preferably formed of steel. These bars are hooked over exible cables mi? to one end of each of which is secured a collar |02, the bars being held on the cables by clamping collars H34 secured to the opposite ends of the cables. The heel end of the pad is preferably covered by a steel plate Mit which provides a relatively rigid dat supporting surface for the heel end of the shoe. That portion of the blanket which underlies the toe end of the shoe is made more rigid lengthwise of the pad bo than the metal blanket S8 but is designed to flex. sufficiently to distribute the pressure properly around the bottom of the toe end of a shoe. For this purpose a plurality of flat relatively stiff metal strips E03 preferably formed of steel are secured to a rubber sheet il@ and extend radially from a point underlying the toe end of a shoe on the pad as shown in Fig. 2. The collars H32, i04- by which the metal bars of the blanket 98 are retained on the cables are provided with extensions [i2 which overlie the adjacent portions of the members it, H38 thus maintaining the various portions of the blanket in proper assembled relationship.

It will be noted that the upper portions of the walls 62 are formed with a iiange Sie arranged to overlie the marginal portions of the heel end of the blanket to retain it in place and a similar flange H6 is formed on the plate QS to overlie the forepart portions of the blanket. The links l2 are also provided with langes l I8 to overlie the margins of that portion of the blanket arranged to underlie the shank portion of a shoe. A shoe bottom-engaging surface is formed by a layer 20 of suitable material placed over the metal blanket and tted between the upper layers of rubber sheets and the adjacent walls oi the pad box. This layer or" material may be formed of leather, polyethylene or any other suitable material.

In the operation of the machine a shoe is placed on the pad box and is substantially centrally located thereon as indicated in Fig. l whereupon pressure is applied to the shoe through the heel and toe abutments I8, 2E). if the contour of the shoe bottom is different from that of the previous shoe operated upon the supporting members for the heel, shank and forepart will be adjusted as explained above until they correspond generally to the longitudinal contour of the shoe 5. bottom. It will be lunderstood thatthe rubber sheets 58 `forming the pad will assume corresponding shapes as will the flexible metal blanket 9.8 which, while it is relatively stiff transversely of the pad box has considerable lengthwise ilexibility. As the pressure exerted on the :shoe is increased the rubber of the lateral and lengthwise ribs of the Isheets 5.3 `will flow as required so that the pad will conform to the .shape .of the shoe bottom and a substantially uniform pressure will `be applied around the marginal portions of the shoe through the metal blanket 88 as descri ed more fully in Patent 2,497,195 referred to abov i The metal plate |06 which `underlies the heel eind of Ythe .shoe insures that a .substantially attaching surface will be formed :and the v radial plates |08 which `underlie the forepart oftheshoe provide sufii-cient rigidity at this end-of the blanket while 1permitting it to :con-

form to the *c pntonr `of the snee bottom at its \toe end.

\ The articulate side Walls at the shank and forepart portionsbf the pad box .and the individua1\rubber sheets lof which the pad is formed facilitate adjustment of the pad box in accordance with the contourbf the shoe bottom.

Having thus described the invention what I y to Asecure by Letters Patent of the 4UnitedStates is.:

1. In a machine for .applying pressure to shoe bottoms, the ombinationofa pad for applying pressure to a sole and shoaseparate members for supporting the forepart, shankand heel portions of vsaid pad, means mounting said heel-supporting member for lieightw'ise adjustment, means mounting said shank and forepart-supporting members for tipping movements lengthwise of the pad, and means interconnecting said members for simultaneous heightwise and tipping movements respectively in response to the pressure of a shoe against said pad whereby the pad conforms generally to the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom.

2. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a sole and shoe, said pad being composed of a plurality of layers of rubber capable of slipping one with respect to another, separate members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of said pad, means interconnecting said members for simultaneous adjustments in response to the pressure of a shoe against said` pad whereby the pad conforms generally to the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom and relatively movable members engageable with the edge portions of the pad to maintain the layers in assembled relation while enabling relative movements of the layers during adjustments of said supporting members.

3. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a sole and shoe, said pad being composed of separate layers of rubber the underside of each layer having spaced parallel ribs and the upper side of each layer of rubber having spaced parallelribs extending at right angles to the ribs on the undersides of the layers, separate members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of said pad, and means interconnecting said members for simultaneous adjustments in response to the pressure of a shoe against said pad whereby the pad conforms generally to the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom.

4. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, fa -pa'd box, the bottom of which is formed of pivotally connected members for supporting the heel, shank and forepart portions of a pad, side walls'cooperating with said members to confine va pad supported by said members, the side walls of the shank and forepart portions being formed .of a plurality of superposed rod-like members providing an articulate enclosure to facilitate relative tipping movements of the shank and forepart members, and a resilient pad within the box.

5. ln .a .machine for applying pressure to vshoe bottoms, apad box, the bottom of which is formed of pivotally connected members for supporting the heel, shank and forepart portions of a pad, side walls cooperating with said members to `confine a pad `supported by said members, the side walls ofthe vshank and forepart portions being formed of a plurality of .superposed rod-like members providing an articulate enclosure to vfacilitate relative tipping movements of the shank and forepart members, and a resilient pad within the box, said pad comprising a plurality of sheets of rubber the opposite surfaces of each sheet being provided with spaced parallel ribs, the ribs on the upper faces extending in one direction and the ribs on the lower faces extending at right angles to the ribs on the upper faces.

6. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, apad box, the bottom of which is formed of pivotally -connected members for supporting the heel, shank and forepart portions `of a pad, side walls cooperating with said .members -to confine ya pad supported .by said members, the side walls of the shank and forepart portions being formed of a plurality of superposed rodlike members providing an articulate enclosure to facilitate relative tipping movements of the shank and forepart members, a resilient pad within the box, and means interconnecting said members whereby they assume approximately the longitudinal contour of the shoe bottom in response to the application of pressure through the pad to the bottom of the shoe.

7. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, a supporting frame, a shank supporting member pivoted to said frame intermediate its front and rear edges, a gear segment attached to said supporting member and extending forwardly thereof, a forepart supporting member pivoted to the forward edge of said shank supporting member. a second gear segment meshing with the rst named segment and pivoted to the forward portion of said frame, an arm connected to said second gear segment and extending forwardly from its pivot, and a pin and slot connection between said arm and the forward end of said forepart. supporting member.

8. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, a supporting frame, a shank supporting member pivoted to said frame intermediate its front and rear edges, agear segment attached to said supporting member and extending forwardly thereof, a forepart supporting member pivoted to the forward edge of said shank supporting member, a second gear segment meshing with the first named segment and pivoted to the forward portion of said frame, an arm connected to said second gear segment and extending forwardly from its pivot, a pin and slot connection between said arm and the forward end of said forepart supporting member, a heel supporting member, and means connecting said heel supporting member and said shank supporting member whereby said heel supporting member moves vertically in response to tipping movement of said shank supporting member.

9. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, a supporting frame, a shank supporting member pivoted to said frame intermediate its front and rear edges, a gear segment attached to said supporting member and extending forwardly thereof, a forepart supporting member pivoted to the forward edge of said shank supporting member, a second gear segment meshing with the rst named segment and pivoted to the forward portion of said frame, an arm connected to said second gear segment and extending forwardly from its pivot, a pin and slot connection between said arm and the forward end of said forepart supporting member, a heel supporting member, and means connecting said heel supporting member and said shank supporting member whereby said heel supporting member moves vertically in response to tipping movement of said shank supporting member, said connecting means comprising a parallel linkage whereby parallel motion is imparted by tipping movement of the shank supporting member to said heel supporting member.

l0. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, a supporting frame, a shank supporting member pivoted to said frame intermediate its front and rear edges, a gear segment attached to said supporting member and extending forwardly thereof, a forepart supporting member pivoted to the forward edge of said shank supporting member, a second gear segment meshing with the rst named segment and pivoted to the 8 forward portion of said frame, an arm connected to said second gear segment and extending forwardly from its pivot, a pin and slot connection between said arm and the forward end of said forepart supporting member, a heel supporting member, means connecting said heel supporting member and said shank supporting member whereby said heel supporting member moves vertically in response to tipping movement of said shank supporting member, and a resilient pad carried by said supporting members, said pad comprising a plurality of layers of rubber each of said layers beiner provided With spaced parallel ribs on opposite sides thereof the ribs on one sideextending at right angles to the ribs on/the other side. CHARLES K. WOQDMAN.

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